Who rules in France? What factors determine the actual powers of the President and Prime minister of France?

Have a little read: ... Who rules in France? What factors determine the actual powers of the President and Prime minister of France? In France, no single person rules the country but the power is shared between the President and the Prime minister. The President and Prime ministers both have different powers and responsibilities which are generally set by the constitution but can be altered by various external factors such as the political climate at the time and external controls. According to Vincent Wright (1978) the president of France can be said to have five basic functions: he is the head of state, the guardian of the national interest, the fountain head of patronage, the country's most prominent politician and finally the head of the executive. The President is expected to carry out ceremonial duties, make courtesy visits abroad and accredit ambassadors. He is also seen as the most significant and dominant politician with strong leadership qualities and charisma- 'De Gaulle like imperious rulers in non-democratic regimes virtually monopolized the mass media and used the press conference not so much to enlighten the people as to appeal for national unity'1. However, now must also consider the President's strong political power. The Constitution of 4 October 1958 had provided for the election of the President of the Republic by indirect universal suffrage by an electoral college comprising the members of Parliament and various representatives of local elected officials. General de Gaulle was elected president under this system in 1958 before being re-elected by direct universal suffrage in 1965. The new procedure broke with the tradition of more than a century, which, in the name of the supremacy of Parliament, had prohibited the head of State from being directly elected by the people. It has contributed to strengthening the executive, envisaged ever since 1958 as the cornerstone of the new institutions. The constitution plays a fundamental role in the powers that the President is entitled to. Certain constitutional rules in theory provide the President with enormous potential power. Article 16 of the constitution states ' when the institutions of the republic, the independence of the nation and the integrity of its territory are threatened in a grave and immediate manner..when regular functioning of the constitutional government is interrupted the President shall take the measures commanded by these circumstances'2. This shows that even though the President may not veto bills or engage in parliamentary debates, the constitution